Lauren Bacall's Secret Moments

Did you know she voiced a Fancy Feast commercial?

By
Devin Hammond

Jun 26, 2019

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Although Old Hollywood legends and royal princesses alike may have been revered for their enviable style and penchant for luxury, they also grappled with troubled upbringings and tumultuous relationships throughout their lifetimes. Delving past the curtain of glamorous celebrity, Secret Moments is a series humanizing the icons of yesterday.

Known for her acidic wit and sensual voice, Lauren Bacall is widely regarded as one of the most iconic film actresses of the 20th century. After her discovery on a magazine cover at 19 years old, Bacall went on to star in over a dozen plays and nearly 60 films, including How To Marry a Millionaire and Murder On The Orient Express. She also developed a high profile relationship with actor Humphrey Bogart, who became her first husband and longtime infatuation. Despite the limiting gender norms of the era in which she worked, Bacall never shied away from speaking her truth, even publishing an autobiography entitled Lauren Bacall by Myself in 1978. Rounding up some little-known facts about the Bronx-born bombshell with a penchant for dogs and directness, CR looks back at Bacall's extraordinary life.

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She Changed Her Entire Name

Originally born Betty Joan Perske on September 16, 1924, she officially changed her name to Lauren Bacall when Hollywood director and screenwriter Howard Hawks drafted her contract for her first film, To Have And Have Not.

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She Volunteered At The Famous Stage Door Canteen

On Monday nights before her big break, Bacall occasionally volunteered at The Stage Door Canteen, a social sanctuary for American soldiers temporarily stationed in New York City during World War II. The American Theatre Wing ran the nightclub, which provided servicemen with an opportunity to dance, drink, and eat alongside celebrities. It is rumored that she danced the jitterbug alongside several GI's there.

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She Was Discovered Through A Magazine Cover

At the age of 18, Bacall was in the throes of a successful modeling career and appeared on the March 1943 cover of a popular fashion magazine. Slim Keith, socialite and wife of Howard Hawks, showed him the image, encouraging him to pursue Bacall for a screen test.

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She Altered Her Voice For Her First Role

Hawks told Bacall to lose her harsh Bronx accent for her film debut in To Have And Have Not. He encouraged her to read aloud along Mulholland Drive, a popular Los Angeles street, from a book called The Robe until her voice became less high-pitched.

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She Idolized Bette Davis

With the help of her uncle's friend, Bacall and a girlfriend met Bette Davis at the Gotham Hotel in New York. The meet and greet inspired Bacall to seriously consider an acting career. Her connection to Davis came full circle when she assumed the role of Margo Channing in the All About Eve-based Broadway musical Applause, just twenty years after Davis had played the same character in the film.

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She Lost Her Virginity to Bogart

Although Bogart was married to actress Mayo Methot while working on To Have and Have Not opposite then 19-year-old Bacall in 1944, the two quickly began a heated affair, even openly holding hands on set. In her autobiography, Bacall divulged that she lost her virginity to Bogart during this time.

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She Grew Distressed Over Bogart's Indecisiveness

The success of To Have And Have Not led Bogart, Bacall, and Hawks to collaborate on a second film in 1946, titled The Big Sleep. During this period, Bogart expressed indecisiveness about leaving his wife, despite intense feelings for Bacall. His unpredictability was so distressing that Bacall's hands shook whenever she had to light a cigarette or pour a drink during takes.

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She Hid Her Jewish Identity At The Start of Her Career

Bacall has said that she once went on a date with a West Point cadet, and upon telling him that she was Jewish, he never called her back. She then resolved to hide her Jewish identity out of fear of anti-Semitism in Hollywood. However, she claims that Bogart was incredibly accepting of her religious identity.

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She Made Katharine Hepburn A Godmother

Katharine Hepburn and Lauren Bacall met on the set of The African Queen in 1951. The pair were extremely close friends, with a relationship that spanned over 50 years. Upon the birth of her first son Sam in 1961, Bacall made Hepburn his godmother.

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She Almost Re-Married To Frank Sinatra

For her 32nd birthday, Bacall flew to Las Vegas for a performance by Sinatra, where he dedicated "Happy Birthday" to her from onstage. From that point on, the two frequently spent time together after Bogart passed away from cancer in 1957.

Allegedly, Sinatra asked Bacall to marry him while the two were chatting over drinks in a hotel bar, but after Bacall's agent confirmed the engagement to the press without his consent, he ultimately ghosted her.

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She Won Two Tony Awards

In 1970, Bacall made her stage debut with the role of Margo Channing in Applause, for which she won A Tony Award for Best Actress in a Musical.She nabbed her second Best Actress Tony Award in 1981 for her portrayal of Tess Harding in the musical Woman Of The Year.

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She Didn't Understand The Hype Surrounding Her Beauty

Even though she was widely regarded as one of the most beautiful women of the 20th century, Bacall personally believed that she had crooked teeth and overly thick eyebrows. However, she never let any producers or directors deliberately change her looks, a rare statement for a female actress to make during such an era.

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She Was The Second Name Added To The IMDB Platform

According to IMDB, Bacall was the second profile uploaded to the website, right behind Fred Astaire and just before Brigitte Bardot.

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Her Name Was Featured In Two Hit Songs

Both Bacall and her husband were referenced in the '80s hit "Key Largo" by Bertie Higgins with the lyrics "We had it all/Just like Bogie and Bacall." Eight years later, Madonna gave Bacall a shoutout in her now iconic song "Vogue" with the lines "Rita Hayworth gave good face/Lauren, Katherine, Lana too."

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She Had A Vocal Syndrome Named After Her

Because of her exceptionally sultry and low voice, people speculated that Bacall had some sort of vocal disorder, which was untrue.

However, she did have one named after her. Bogart-Bacall syndrome, otherwise known as BBS, develops from overuse or abuse of one's vocal cords, and symptoms include an unusually deep voice or dysphonia.

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She Quit Smoking In The '80's

Despite the fact that many of Bacall's iconic smoking scenes added to her sex symbol status, she gave up on cigarettes in the middle of touring for Sweet Bird Of Youth in Australia in the 1980s. She also acknowledged how the habit led to Bogart's development of esophageal cancer (which he later passed away from).

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She Had Strong Political Views

Bacall is known for being openly political. Throughout her young adulthood, she publicly campaigned for Democratic candidates such as Robert Kennedy and Adlai Stevenson.

In the late 1940s, Bacall and Bogart, along with 80 other celebrities, sent a telegram to the White House demanding the House Un-American Activities Committee to cease investigations into Americans accused of Communist actions. This decision, along with many others that seemingly aligned Bacall with Communism, reflected negatively on her in the press.

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She Inspired A Cartoon Character

In addition to Julie London, Veronice Lake, and Rita Hayworth, Bacall's looks were used as inspiration for the iconic character of Jessica Rabbit from the animated classic Who Framed Roger Rabbit?

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She Lent Her Voice To Multiple Commercials

Bacall served as a spokeswoman for High Point Coffee, a Folgers brand centered around decaf flavor options. Over the course of several years, she filmed numerous commercials for the brand, including this one in 1982. She also voiced a Fancy Feast cat food commercial in 1988.

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She Was There When John Lennon Died

The Dakota, a famous apartment complex on the Upper West Side of New York City, has been home to numerous celebrities since the late 19th century. Bacall lived in the building for many years leading up to her death and was in her apartment on the day that Lennon was infamously shot and killed. Since the sound of the gunshot came from The Dakota's archway entrance adjacent to the street, she mistakenly thought a tire had popped.

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She Gave $10,000 To Her Dog

Lauren Bacall died in her apartment in The Dakota in August 2014, leaving behind an estate of roughly $26.6 million dollars. In her will, Bacall left behind $10,000 for her son, Sam, to be dedicated to the continued care of her beloved papillon, Sophie.

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